Frequently Asked Questions

The ICD/CRT Appropriate Use Criteria App provides decision and documentation support for clinicians assessing the appropriateness of ICD implantation and CRT. After selecting ICD or CRT as the intended therapy, clinicians will enter a patient’s LVEF and NYHA class to:

Obtain an appropriate use rating for ICD/CRT according to the ACC/HRS/AHA et al. 2013 Appropriate Use Criteria for ICD and CRT

View the likelihood of CMS coverage for the patient receiving an ICD based on the 2005 CMS Coverage Determination criteria

This App is meant to support clinical decision making and documentation regarding the appropriateness of implantable cardioverter defibrillators and cardiac resynchronization therapy for a given patient. The App provides appropriateness advice for patient scenarios only covered in the ACC/HRS/AHA et al. 2013 Appropriate Use Criteria for ICD and CRT document. Information in the App is intended to support clinical decision making and does not represent the only or the best course of care, or replace clinical judgment. Patients and their care provider should discuss therapeutic options. The CMS ICD Coverage Determination advice provided in the App is for informational purposes only. Users must contact CMS for clarification.

Appropriate use ratings are derived from the ACCF/HRS/AHA/ASE/HFSA/SCAI/SCCT/SCMR 2013 Appropriate Use Criteria for Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillators and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy document. CMS coverage likelihood is derived from the 2005 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services National Coverage Determination for Implantable Automatic Defibrillators.

The App was developed by the ACC to transform cardiovascular care and improve heart health through the implementation of clinical policy at the point of care. It was developed with the review and guidance of a Work Group of ACC representatives and experts in the field, and with the oversight of the ACC Best Practice and Quality Improvement Subcommittee. Development of the App included several rounds of user testing within the ACC and representatives of the target audience.

Content in the App will be updated to reflect any changes to its source, the ACC/HRS ICD/CRT AUC document. User feedback also creates needs and opportunities for the App to be maintained and up-to-date.

Complete the ACC’s feedback survey here which is also accessible through the “About the App” section in the App.

Leave comments on the iTunes or Google Play page for the App.
The ACC is also collecting data about the App through analytics, usability studies, and impact studies when possible. Feedback is used to ensure the App’s accuracy and to identify opportunities for improving the App’s user experience and to inform the ACC Mobile App Framework.

The App’s intended target audience are clinicians involved in the care and referral of patients being considered for ICD and CRT. These clinicians include primary care, cardiology, electrophysiology, heart failure specialists and other clinical specialties. The app is not directly intended for patient use.

No patient information is collected and stored in the app. Anonymous user behavior (e.g., number of people who downloaded the app, how many times a day the app was used) will be gathered through Google Analytics. The ACC is collecting a database of each patient scenario entered into the app and the resulting AUC advice, to help validate and update the AUC content in the future. All data collected in the App is anonymous and cannot be traced back to an individual user.

The ICD/CRT AUC App is a translation of the ACCF/HRS/AHA/ASE/HFSA/SCAI/SCCT/SCMR 2013 Appropriate Use Criteria for Implantable Cardioverter-defibrillators and Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy document. The App is also related to the NCDR ICD Registry in which the ICD/CRT AUC criteria have recently been implemented as new metrics. The App is part of the ACC Clinical Mobile App Collection designed to be used “on the go” to help optimize patient care. More information about ACC’s Clinical App Collection can be found here.

The App was developed by the ACC. The AUC source content was created by the ACC in collaboration with other societies and organizations, including the Heart Rhythm Society, American Heart Association, American Society of Echocardiography, Heart Failure Society of America, Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, SCCT and SCMR.

The App has an email function for users to send a summary of their individual app session to a recipient of their choice which could be transferred into EMR notes. There are currently no other plans to integrate the App into EMRs, but some EMRs may have a link to ICD AUC criteria through their participation in the NCDR ICD Registry. The ACC is actively exploring options for apps and EHR integration.